Police identified the suspect as Toai Pham, who detectives say was taken into custody on May 8 at a local driving range. After being booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, Pham was later released and is expected to appear in court on June 23 at the Riverside Superior Courthouse.

    Investigators believe there could be additional victims who have not yet contacted authorities. Riverside Police Detective Steven Espinosa said detectives are encouraging anyone who may have encountered Pham, or someone matching his description, around the Mt. Rubidoux area to come forward.

    “If you have seen Pham or someone with a similar description approaching women around the area of Mt. Rubidoux, we encourage you to come forward,” Espinosa said.

    The investigation began after a woman contacted the department’s Public Safety Communications Center on the morning of March 9 at approximately 8:30 a.m. to report that she had been sexually battered while hiking in the Mt. Rubidoux area.

    According to investigators, detectives later learned that Pham regularly hikes Mt. Rubidoux during the morning hours.

    Police said the victim told investigators that Pham approached her during the hike and allegedly touched her inappropriately without consent.

    Anyone with information related to the investigation is being asked to contact Officer James Payne at (951) 353-7113 or by email at JPayne@RiversideCA.gov.

    Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the Riverside Police Department’s “Atlas 1” mobile app using the department’s secure “Send a Message” feature, which is available on both Apple and Android devices, authorities said.

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Luis Ernesto Rosas, 19, of Moreno Valley, was arrested Monday following a two-week investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department into the slaying of Ronald Gargano.

Along with murder, Rosas was charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

The defendant, who is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Kelleher, on the morning of Jan. 18, Gargano was in the area of Foothill Avenue and Nuevo Road, just east of Perris, when he was assaulted by a then-unknown person for reasons not disclosed.

The victim was stabbed and left for dead.

Kelleher said witnesses discovered Gargano’s remains not long afterward, and when patrol deputies confirmed the nature of the man’s death, the case was turned over to the Central Homicide Unit, whose detectives ultimately uncovered evidence pointing to Rosas as the alleged assailant.

A possible motive was not disclosed.

The defendant was tracked down and taken into custody without incident on Dracaea Avenue in Moreno Valley.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Ayan Papoli, 58, was found dead at the bottom of a 75-foot embankment in Crestline, a San Bernardino Mountains community, on Nov. 18, 2025.  

Initially, investigators were unable to identify Papoli and believed her death was the result of an accident. They released a composite sketch of her in hopes someone would come forward and identify her.  

Four days after her body was discovered, she was reported missing from her Newport Beach home and was officially identified by the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office on Dec 1.  

“Initially, they determined her injuries to be consistent with a fall,” Jenny Smith, a spokesperson with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “But after our coroner’s office reviewed her circumstances further, they decided that it was a homicide.”  

Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, Papoli’s husband, was arrested in connection with her death on Jan. 23 at his home in the affluent L.A. County city of Rolling Hills. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office charged with him murder two days later.  

So far, investigators have not said what led them to the 66-year-old, but in an amended criminal complaint, the DA added special circumstances of “lying in wait” and “murder for financial gain.”  

Iranian born, Papoli emigrated to the states with her family when she was 18 and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles Times reported. She later met Goodarzi and the couple founded a clean-energy company called U.S. Hybrid. 

The couple’s two adult sons created a website in their mother’s memory, writing that they are devastated by her death. They described her as a woman with a passion for creative expression who “spread light, love and joy wherever she went.”  

The site makes no mention of their father’s arrest in the case and KTLA’s attempts to reach them for this story were unsuccessful.  

As for Goodarzi, he’s being held without bail at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino County.  

In a statement to KTLA, his attorney, Scott Simmons, said, “My client looks forward to his day in court where the facts and evidence will clearly establish his innocence.” 

This is the second high-profile murder case against an affluent husband in a matter of months.  

Southern California farming magnate Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested in connection with his wife’s alleged murder on Dec. 23.  

The estranged couple were reportedly entangled in a bitter divorce when Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the couple’s Arizona vacation home on Nov. 20.  

She succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to the hospital.  

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RIVERSIDE, CA — A pastor is accused of sexually abusing two young boys in Riverside over several years, and detectives believe there may be others who have yet to come forward, according to police.

Investigators identified the suspect Thursday as Juan Barrios, 51, of Riverside, who worked as a pastor at Iglesia de Dios Israelita in Fullerton.

Police said a young man contacted authorities in May to report a pattern of sexual abuse that began when he was 9 and lasted into his mid-teens. His younger brother came forward with similar claims, alleging the crimes took place between 2009 and 2015 while their family lived at Barrios’ Riverside home, according to police.

The allegations led to an investigation by Riverside’s Sexual Assault – Child Abuse (SACA) unit, and detectives arrested Barrios on Sept. 8. Investigators said he was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of multiple sex crimes and released on $500,000 bail.

Citing the nature of the allegations, detectives said they believed more victims could be involved and encouraged anyone with information related to Barrios to contact police at 951-353-7949 or 951-353-7133.

According to jail records, his next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

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Like his mother Janice Turner, Kingston is accused of multiple counts of fraud and theft, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest warrant. The “Beautiful Girls” singer — who was reportedly in California for performances — was taken into custody in Fort Irwin and booked into jail in San Bernardino County.

“This evening, police in Fort Irwin, Calif., arrested Kisean Anderson, aka Sean Kingston, without incident on a Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest warrant for numerous fraud and theft charges,” the Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“We were in the process of having him return to Florida after his show,” Bob Rosenblatt, an attorney representing Kingston, told NBC News, adding that the singer would waive extradition. “We want him back asap so we can show this is merely a civil case and not criminal. We look forward to challenging this case in court. “

Following the raid conducted by Broward Sheriff deputies and Davie Police SWAT, an attorney named Dennis Card, who represents Ver Ver Entertainment, told NBC Miami that the raid was conducted in connection to a lawsuit the company filed alleging that Kingston never paid for luxury items — namely a 232″ TV and premium sound system — he had purchased.

“[Kingston] likes having bling, he likes showing off, he’s a showman,” Card said. “My client has a $150,000 television sound system that’s in there, there’s also about $1 million worth of watches that are in there, there’s a $80,000 custom bed that was ordered. This is an organized systematic fraud.”

“[Kingston’s] got basically a script, he says that he works with Justin Bieber, and that he obviously puts on a big show here, this is a rental house, he doesn’t own it, and he lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without him paying for it and then he simply never pays,” Card added; Kingston and Bieber recorded the song “Eenie Meenie” together in 2010.

Card added, “He’s got judgements against him for procuring more than $1 million in watches without paying for them. This is just an ongoing pattern for Sean,” alluding to previous lawsuits against Kingston including a $1 million unpaid jewelry bill.

Kingston’s mother, Turner, has legal issues dating back to at least 2006, when she pled guilty to four counts of filing false loan applications and one count of bank fraud involving $132,000 in stolen funds. She was sentenced to 16 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Turner also is currently embroiled in a civil lawsuit seeking $100,000 in unpaid rent for a different Florida home.

Following his mother’s arrest but prior to his own, Kingston posted on his Instagram Stories, “People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother!. My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Fifteen Southern California residents, including a California Highway Patrol employee, are accused of being part of an organized crime ring that colluded to profit from fraudulent auto insurance claims, it was announced Friday.

The Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force began the investigation in November 2022 after it was learned that CHP non-sworn employee Rosa Isela Santistevan, 55, of Irvine was illegally selling crash reports that contained personal information about people involved in wrecks across Southern California, according to Friday’s announcement from the California Department of Insurance.

The conspiracy began after ringleader Andre Angelo Reyes, 36, of Corona befriended Santistevan and other CHP employees by donating to various events and parties hosted by the state agency, according to the CDI.

The cozy relationship led to Santistevan illegally selling thousands of traffic reports to Reyes, who then gave the ill-gotten information to 26-year-old Pomona resident Esmeralda Parga. Parga would contact the people named in the reports, pretending to be from their insurance company, and coordinate having their vehicles towed to an “approved” repair center, the CDI alleged.

Tow truck drivers cooperated in the scheme by taking victims’ vehicles to CA Collision, owned by Anthony Gomez, 35, of Jurupa Valley. The shop would hold the vehicles hostage and demand cash payment from the victims’ insurance companies, CDI reported.

The crime ring even intentionally caused crashes. One of those wrecks was recorded on a defendant’s phone and discovered during a search warrant service, according to the state agency.

The 15 people allegedly involved in the scheme are charged with insurance fraud, grand theft by trick, and false impersonation. The charges involve 19 fraudulent claims resulting in a $353,035 loss, CDI reported. Twelve of the 15 suspects were arrested Thursday.

According to the CDI, the defendants include:

• Andre Angelo Reyes, 36, of Corona; booked into Riverside County jail with bail set at $700,000.
• Rosa Isela Santistevan, 55, of Irvine; booked into the Orange County jail with bail set at $700,000.
• Esmeralda Parga, 26, of Pomona; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $700,000.
• Anthony Gomez, 35, of Jurupa Valley; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $700,000.
• Ezequiel Baltazar Orozco, 30, of Los Angeles; charged but not yet in custody.
• Antonio Terrazas Perez Jr., 19, of Los Angeles; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $150,000.
• Erika Garcia, 31, of Los Angeles; charged but not yet in custody.
• Israel Avila Sandoval, 45, of Pomona; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $150,000.
• Luis Alberto Ramirez Jr., 32, of San Bernardino; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $100,000.
• Robert Arzac, 49, of West Covina; booked into the Orange County jail with bail set at $50,000.
• Antonio Ramirez Perez, 44, of Los Angeles; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $350,000.
• Brian Anthony Lopez, 25, of Anaheim (no booking information available
• Emily Marie Boatman, 26, of Ontario; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $700,000.
• Ricardo Parga Jr., 23, of Pomona; booked into San Bernardino County jail with bail set at $50,000.
• Steven Anthony Alfaro, 38, of Buena Park; charged but not yet in custody.

The Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force includes the California Department of Insurance, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

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Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency has arrested a woman with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship on charges of treason, accusing her of collecting money for the Ukrainian military.

The Federal Security Service said in a statement early Tuesday that the Los Angeles resident was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) east of Moscow. She had returned to Russia to visit family.

Authorities did not name the woman, but her longtime employer in California identified her as Ksenia Khavana.

Here is what is known about Khavana and Russia’s case against her:

WHO IS KHAVANA?

Khavana, 33, is a citizen of the U.S. and Russia.

The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona identified her as Ksenia Karelina, her maiden name, and said that she had received U.S. citizenship after marrying an American.

Isabella Koretz, owner of Ciel Spa at the SLS Beverly Hills where Khavana has worked for eight years, told The Associated Press that Khavana, a ballet dancer, came to the U.S. to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore before relocating to Los Angeles.

She said Khavana is divorced and does not have any relatives in the U.S. Koretz said she has grown close to Khavana over the years and treats her like “she’s family.”

According to Koretz, Khavana tried to see her family in Russia at least once a year, usually around Christmas and New Year’s. This year, Koretz said, Khavana flew into Russia from Istanbul in early January for a two-week trip to spend time with her 90-year-old grandmother, parents and younger sister.

Koretz grew concerned when Khavana stopped returning her messages and phone calls after entering Russia. She said panic set in when Khavana ultimately did not return from her trip in mid-January as planned.

“This girl is like an angel,” Koretz said. “You have to understand that she wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

WHAT IS SHE ACCUSED OF?

Russia’s Federal Security Service alleges that Khavana had been “proactively” raising funds for a Ukrainian organization since February 2022 — money that it says was “subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

The agency said she also took part in “public actions” in the U.S. in support of Kyiv. It did not provide further details about the allegations.

Koretz said Khavana actually was collecting funds for humanitarian aid and had made a donation to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit that says it provides medical kits and disaster relief to those affected by Russia’s invasion of the country.

“We’re talking about diapers and formula, that’s what she was collecting money for,” Koretz said. “We’re not talking about money for weapons.”

In its own statement Tuesday, the nonprofit’s CEO said she was appalled by media reports of the arrest but did not name Khavana or confirm whether the woman had previously donated to the charity.

The organization said in an email to The Associated Press that it does not disclose the identities of its donors to protect their privacy.

“Razom calls on the U.S. government to continue to do everything in its power to demand that President Putin release all those unjustly detained by Russia and to hold Russia’s political and military leadership accountable for their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” Dora Chomiak said in her statement.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that the White House and the State Department were aware of reports of the arrest and added that “we are trying to get more information and to secure some consular access to that individual.”

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

The Federal Security Service says that she has been ordered detained as a “preventative measure” while it continues its investigation.

Koretz said that Khavana, meanwhile, has been communicating with her colleagues at the spa through letters and has asked them to help her sell her belongings in Los Angeles, including her car.

“She doesn’t want to leave anybody with her debts,” Koretz said.

If convicted of treason under article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code, Khavana faces up to 20 years in prison.

News on Tuesday of Khavana’s arrest came the same day a court in the Russian capital ruled to keep Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in custody pending his trial on espionage charges that he denies.

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File # MV240300212

Details:

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 2:25 p.m., deputies assigned to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to a report of a past sexual assault of a child that occurred in the 23000 block of Hemlock Avenue, Moreno Valley. Investigators assigned to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station assumed the investigation. During the investigation, they learned the juvenile victim had been assaulted by a local pastor identified as David Helbling, a 79-year-old resident of Moreno Valley.

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station personnel served a search warrant at a property in the 23000 block of Hemlock Avenue, Moreno Valley. During the service of the search warrant, evidence related to the crime was collected, and Helbling was taken into custody without incident. Helbling was later transported to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station for processing and subsequently booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center on multiple felony charges related to the crimes against the juvenile victim.

Helbling remains in custody, and his bail is set at $2,000,000.00. This is an ongoing investigation, and no additional details are available at this time.

The Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station investigators believe there may be additional victims and encourage anyone with additional information to contact Investigator McCracken at 951-486-6710.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File# PE240470073

Details:

On Friday, February 16, 2024, following a weeks-long narcotics sales investigation, the Perris City and Perris County Special Enforcement Teams arrested 43-year-old Miguel Angel Lopez, a resident of Perris, for fentanyl sales. Deputies then served a search warrant at Lopez’s residence in the 1000 block of Ruby Road in Perris. They located and seized hundreds of multi-color fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, methamphetamine, and thousands of dollars in cash. Additionally, deputies seized ballistic panels, ammunition, and a collapsible baton. At the residence, deputies discovered a 12-year-old child alone in the vicinity of the narcotics. The child was safely placed in the care of a relative. Lopez was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for possession for sale of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, child endangerment, a felon in possession of ammunition, a felon in possession of body armor, possession of a collapsible baton, violation of probation and a felony warrant for possession for sale of a controlled substance.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Deputy D. Soto at the Perris Sheriff’s Station by calling 951–210–1000.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File# GP240160002

Details:

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at about 1:44 p.m., the School Resource Officer assigned to a high school located in the 100 block of E Nuevo Road in the city of Perris received information regarding a student who was potentially armed with a firearm. No direct or explicit threats were made towards staff or students. Utilizing this information, Deputies located the juvenile and detained him. A search of the juvenile revealed a concealed and loaded firearm. The juvenile was taken into custody without incident and later booked into juvenile hall. This investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with additional information is urged to call Deputy Jason Machado at Riverside County Sheriff’s dispatch at (951) 776-1099 or the Perris Station at (951) 210-1000.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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